LOS ANGELES — The International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR) has launched a new policy service specifically for operators of new generic top-level domains.
The Policy Engine service will help those companies planning to run a piece of the Internet's infrastructure by providing customized and pragmatic solutions for their specific needs, whether privacy requirements, content restrictions, age verification, registrant identification, or a range of other requirements.
The service builds on the experience of IFFOR's Policy Council, board and staff and the organization's role as the policy developer and reviewer of the dot-xxx top-level domain.
Of the current 1,917 applications for 1,396 different extensions from 1,144 different applicants, 84 have designated themselves "community" applications requiring user-specific registration policies. Additionally, 199 different extensions have been formally warned that they may face governmental objections if they do not account for specific concerns. Many other applications have identified the business benefit from pursuing particular groups or adding use-specific restrictions to domain registration.
With 80 new extensions due to appear on the Internet each month for over a year from mid-2013, the need to market to specific target groups may well be the difference between success and failure for new gTLD companies.
IFFOR's Policy Engine service will help identify a specific extension's policy requirements for target markets and develop or review policies with an eye to scalable and pragmatic business solutions.
Domain names are not typical consumers products and bring with them a wide range of legal, technical and personal considerations. IFFOR's service will help companies navigate those issues and provide real-world solutions.